It is a hospital grade pump. It is designed for use in a work setting, and looking at the manufacturer's address and from some things said on the website, I bet they use it in lactation rooms in the movie studios in CA, but it would easily be used in a hospital NICU or by a mother needing a heavy duty pump. It has a microfilter designed to keep milk, should milk enter the tubes, out of the pump and to prevent germs in the air from entering the milk so it can be used by several mothers.

You know how the PISA and other similar pumps drip at the bottle if you lean too far over? I haven't gotten this one to do that. I suspect the milk could enter the tubes though, but I havent gotten that to happen either.

The connectors are different. Gav can't kick my bottles off! They take a lot of force to get the bottles off. I used to accidentally bump the bottles off all the time. Unfortunately, they are front-heavy, and the bottles easily fall over. The pump has bottle holders in the sides, but the pump won't fit in the bag with them attached, so it's an extra step to set up.

You cannot use other bottle brands. Sucks. I like my 8 oz bottles for that morning pump. But they don't seal well for me. I'm going to keep trying though.

The way it pumps is different. Instead of tugging your nipples down a tube, it squeezes the areola to express milk with smooth silicone cups that are one size. It's more comfortable....when you find the right setting. I would not say this is as smooth as a Symphony, but I am still messing with settings. It has separate "cycle" which regulates how fast it pumps and "vacuum" which alters how strong it is. Getting the two just right, so it feels like the Symphony does, is tricky for me. I contacted the maker, because I had my doubts about it really being one size fits all horns, but they assured me, yes,they are. I have not had trouble with the size. I'm more having some difficulty getting the suction and timing right; I'm having a few vasospasms. Some lubricant has helped.

The holder for the cup/horn does make it hard to see the milk coming out.

The tubes are wide. I hope they don't grow mold like those narrow Medela ones will.

It has a good stimulation setting; you start with the knobs in a certain position, and it really works for me.

It is louder than a Symphony, but much quieter than say, a Freestyle or Ameda. The noise it makes is kind of funny:lol

Price ...... First of all, this is a hospital grade pump. It is going to be more expensive than any professional grade pump. This is NOT equivalent to a PISA or PY. It is a step up. But, if you think about it, I have a used Symphony, when it boils down to it. The IBCLC had just gotten it back from another mama when I needed to rent one. I found a used Limerick. A mom was selling it because BFing didn't work for her, and she barely used the pump. She was selling the pump, the bag it came in and the instructions (with DVD). She threw out the tubes, etc, anything that contacted her milk, and I bought my own kit for it (tubes, filter, bottles, washing brush, bottle lids, pink mesh bag, etc), along with a car adapter. I got set up for a total of $250.

I would NEVER recommend doing this with anything but a hospital grade pump! Used PISA is a bad idea! Used professional grade pumps have a limited life span and start slowing down, decreasing your supply, and can have mold growing in them, and thus, I don't recommend them. But hospital grades are built differently and are made to hold up to thousands of hours of pumping. The Limerick also has a 3 year warranty on it.

I was willing to pay full price and was about to, then this pump popped up. However, even new, it's less than other hospital grade pumps. You can buy the executive kit, which is all-inclusive, or you can buy the pump and some parts a la cart. If you choose the latter, you need the pump and a personal kit at a minimum.

The bag it comes with, the backpack one, is big enough for all the gear between its two pockets, but I think it's ugly myself. It feels cheap, but it is easily wiped clean. It also came with a bottle bag that holds 4 bottles and an ice pack. The bag that comes with the executive kit looks much more attractive.

It has a timer on it, so you know how long you pump. I look at a clock myself, but it's handy being right there and keeps a running time total.

No auto off. It will keep running if you leave it on.

It will not suck if there is an air leak. This means I cannot use the pump to blow the condensation out of the tubes by leaving it on for a few minutes after pumping.

Single side pumping is accomplished by clamping off the tube you don't need with a provided clip.

Strong. I cannot turn it all the way up! I turned all the other pumps, including the Symphony, up all the way. Even with the speed all the way down, I can't handle this up more than halfway. I haven't yet been able to get a second letdown with this pump

Would I suggest this pump? Yes. It is a viable alternative to a Medela or Ameda hospital grade pump and a step up from a professional grade pump. I wish I had found this pump a year ago. Really. For the price, you can't beat it if you are going to be doing heavy duty pumping (FT working mom, mom who has a sick baby, or will be pumping for several years as she has several kids back to back, or maybe a serious milk donor). I spent $900 to rent a Symphony pump for a year. I could have saved $250 by buying this pump a year ago and be pumping for free this year.

Thanks for this awesome review Susan! You can help so many of us because you have tried almost all the pumps! I might get this should I ever decide to procreate again :P The Hygeia one looks cool too (I realize I'm not comparing apples to apples).

Your table looks like my nightstand with the milk stains :lol

January 20th, 2012, 10:22 PM

@llli*aprilsmagic

Re: PJ Limerick Pump Review

Gross, isn't it:lol I wash it all the time, but you'd never know. The cleft feeders were the absolute worst at leaking. The Breastflows dribble when I add more milk to one that was already used. Annoying.

The Hygiea is one that can be safely passed on to another mother. I thought about that one too.

January 22nd, 2012, 01:38 PM

@llli*lllkaren

Re: PJ Limerick Pump Review

This is fantastic! :) Thanks for writing it, Susan!

I have to admit... When I first heard about this pump I was a bit skeptical for no other reason than it has a goofy name. It's good to be better informed. :D

January 22nd, 2012, 01:48 PM

@llli*aprilsmagic

Re: PJ Limerick Pump Review

Glad to help.

I was skeptical too. It seemed too good to be true. The name is ridiculous:lol But I like it very much...and I'm pumping MORE milk with it :D My right side was almost dried up, but now it's back to producing 8 oz in 24 hours. If I could bring myself to pump 6-8 times a day like I was doing, instead of just 3-4 times, I would probably start making 40 oz a day again. But I can't :shudder

I did get milk in the tubes this AM..kid did kick very full bottles, and it sucked milk up, and the filter caught it. Changed the filter ($15 each) and washed the tubes, and it works fine again.

I did figure out a way to make the large Medela bottles fit on it :D ETA: well, I thought I did :scratch.

I had a hard time fitting all my stuff in the carrier bag to go to work. I wanted to fit my wallet and all in there, so I just had one bag. I couldn't do it. I might break down and order a different bag, or make a new tote for my stuff.

Oh, and the bottle caps leak if you turn the bottles upside down. Oops.

January 22nd, 2012, 01:56 PM

@llli*mtmama

Re: PJ Limerick Pump Review

thank you susan. so you really dont need to do compressions because the horns do it?

January 22nd, 2012, 07:37 PM

@llli*aprilsmagic

Re: PJ Limerick Pump Review

I do some, but not like I was. Just at the end, really. And because I still have milk in the ducts near my body at the end if I don't do some compressions. I like to empty as much as I can. Like when I'm done pumping, I'd better only get drops out.